The space entrepreneur Elon Musk is unlikely to receive government security clearances if he so applied, even as his SpaceX launch company blasts military and spy agency payloads into orbit, according to a report on Monday.

The billionaire, a close ally of Donald Trump, who is set to join the incoming administration as an efficiency expert and recently became the first person to exceed $400bn in self-made personal wealth, is reported by the Wall Street Journal to have been advised by SpaceX lawyers not to seek highest-level security clearances owing to personal drug use and contacts with foreign nationals.

Musk currently holds a “top-secret” clearance that took years to obtain after he discussed use of marijuana on a 2018 podcast with Joe Rogan, according to the outlet. But that may not be enough to have access to information about US government payloads in his rockets.

Typically, candidates undergoing federal security screenings by the department of defense may not receive clearance if the agency expresses concerns about drug or alcohol use, criminal conduct, psychological conditions, sexual behavior or allegiance to the US.

  • 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    No such thing as “self-made personal wealth” when its at $400bn. The author is a silly freakin goose.

  • Hegar@fedia.io
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    8 days ago

    What purpose does security clearance even serve when our government will be run by russian assets and it’s computer systems are routinely compromised?

  • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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    8 days ago

    He shouldn’t even have a top secret after his secret communication with Putin came out. Not to mention all the weird and public impulsiveness. A regular person wouldn’t get a clearance with that, let alone someone who actually has a reason and ability to meddle in geopolitics.

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    8 days ago

    concerns about drug or alcohol use, criminal conduct, psychological conditions, sexual behavior or allegiance to the US.

    Wow, checked all the boxes.

    • Subtracty@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      Allegienance to the US? How is any sort of access to secret information even being discussed. He moved here to take advantage of our system to hoard vast amounts of wealth for himself and make babies with women of questionable sanity. Get him out of positions of power and keep him away from any national security information.